Shock-absorber for vehicles.



` E. G. KOEHLER. SHOCK A'BSORBBR FOR VEHICLES.,

` APPLICATION FILED MAN; 190s.

Patented 1360.28, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. GL KOEH'LER; SHOCK ABSORBBR PoR VEHmL'Es, APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1908.

Patented Deo. 28, 1909.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRANK Gr. KOEHLER, QF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SHOCK-.ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

narrare.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 7, 1908. Serial No. 431,344.

To 'all whom-'fit may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. KOEHLER,

a citizen o the United States vof America,

residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State oi Missouri, have invented certain new and useful In'iprovemcnts in Shock-Absorbers fory Vehicles, ot' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this. speciiieation.

My invention relates to that character of' shock absorbers for vehicles that serves to vieldiiigly resist both'tlie downward moveine'nt and rebound of vehicle bodies in order that. the degrees of shock to the vehicle bodies may be minimized.

Figure I is part a side elevation and in part afvertical section of one of my sprii'igs. Fig. II is a top or plan view of the take-'up springs of iny shock absorber and the parts infimediately associated with said take-up springs. Fig. III is an end view of parts shown iii Fig. H with the central spring seat Vring on'iitted. Fig. IV is a View partly in elevation and partly i`i1` vertical section eta modification. `Fig. V is an enlarged top or plan viewer the take-up spring shown in Fig. lV, and the parts immediately associated. with said take-nj.) springs. Fig. Vl. is a vertical cross section taken on line lil-Vl, Fig. 1V.

ln the accoinjninyiiig drawings: 1 designates a 'fragment of the body frame of a vehicle and 2 one ot the vehicle axles. The vehicle axle has fixed thereto or foi-ined integral with it a ledge member 3 provided with laterally projecting sid-e ledges 41.

5 a bracket'. mounted on the ledge member and secured thereto by suitable means such as shackles-7 that are htted over the bracket and extend through the ledges 4. The bracket 5 is provided at its lower side with shoulders 6 that are adapted to bear against the oi'iteredges o1 the ledges 4 andA thereby serve to prevent longitudinal moveinent of said brackets.

"A designates bearers ot bell. crank shape i aiiil'whieh .comprise outer arnis S and inner l," which are adapted to move into Contact with the upper surfaces oit-the bracket 5. In the arms 10 of the bearers'are screw threadeen' apertures 11 that ,are closed at their outer ends by caps 13 which are fitted to necks 12 that protrude 'from the arms 10. y

llt `are spring seat screws adjustably mountediii the apertures 1l oi'' the arms 10. These spring scat screws aie of hollow for'in and each screw is provided at its forward end with al spring seat rim 15 so shaped as to readily receive a spanner or wrench by which the screw may be. turned to adjust it in the arin 10.

16 are main springs interposed between the arms 10 of the two bearers 8 and the outer ends ot' which are adaptedv to rest against the spring seat rims 15 of the screws 14. These springs are preferably of conical shape and when made ot this shape thev springs are so positioned that their smaller ends are outermost and oppose said spring seat,- rinis.

17 isa central spring seat ring. This spring seat ring has an outer spring seat rib 18 which receives the inner ends of the niaiii spring 1o and serves as a parting member between these springs. At thelinterior of the ring 17 is a spring scat rib 19.

20 aretake-up springs located within the main spring 1G and the inner ends of which rest against the inner rib 19 of the spring seat ring 17. The outer ends of these takenp springs rest against springl scat plates 21.

22 are draw rods that extend longitudinally through the take-up springs.rv These.

draw rods are preferably of U-shape and each rod is equipped at one end with nuts 23 that serve to coniiiie one of the spring seat vplates 21 upon the' rod while the rod has mountedl upon it at the opposite end the other spring seat plate i1 that is adapted to move longitudinally upon the rod when the ltwo rodsare subjected to strain and the takerear facesy of the'v Patented Dee. l28j, 19109.`

tted to the draw rods lfheseoniiecting rods extend longitudinaiiy through the spring seat. screws 14 and they are held from.

longitudinal increment by washers" 26, surrounding the rods andbearing against the outer ends ot the spring seat screws, the

washers being retained upony the rods by .corporated therein a curled spring portiony 29 at the termination of the arm and a resistance member 30 that extends from a point intermediate of the ends of the arm 8 to the termination of said curled s ring portion and the point at which the'lin s 28 are connected to the bearer arm.

The operation of my shock absorber is as follows: When a ground wheel of a vehicle. in which my shock absorberiis present isf. subjected to a shock, the force of such shoek`J is transmitted first as usual to the "vehicle aXle. The force ot' the shock is then transmitted Yfrom the aXle tothe bearers A and from said bearers is 'delivered to the main springs 16 which are opposed at their outer ends by the spring seat screws lll in the arms 10 and at their inner ends by the spring seat' ring 17. Then, lupon the rebound ot the bearers the tzalteaip springs 20 are brought into action due to the occurrence ot pulling strains upon the connecting rods 24 by the bearer arms lt), whereby the draw bars 22 are caused to more the outer spr-ing seat plates S21 in opposite directions and compress the tal e-up springs between said spring seat plates and the inner rib lt) ot the central spring seat ringr 1.7. lt is apparent that the spring seat screws lll may be adjusted in wardlyor outwardly in the bearer arms .l0 as ma) be desired to increase ordiminish the tension in the main spring 16.

The curled spring portions at the outer ends of the bearer arms 8 are of material merit in my shock absorber in that they serve as additional springs when the bearers are sul'rjeeted to stress and the resistance members il() serre in .:onjunction with the curled spring portions to restrain. the inward movements of said portions in' order that they may be caused to move in arcs of circles.

In Figs. lV to Vl inclusive, I have shown 'a i'noditication in which all ot' the parts of the shock absorlmr, "with the excel'ition oi the central spring seat ring and the draw rods associated. with the take-up spiiiigs, are made similar to .those in the first, described construction. ln this modifimition the cen tral spring seat ring i7 elongated to provide a groove therein to accommodate the vehicle aiilc and a truss rod beneath it'when such parts are in close proximity .ina vehicle to which my shock absorber is applied. The spring seat ring 17 is provided with two external spring seat ribs 18 to receive the inner ends ot the main springs 'lli and two internal spring seat ribs 19 to receive the inner ends ofthe take-up springs 20. In the modified const ruetion one of the draw bars 2:2 is made of U-shape while the other draw bar 22 is in the main in the shape of a.- straight rod and is provided. at 'one end externally oi' the central. spring seat ring with a Jfork 22a by which the rod is connected to one of the outer spring seat plates 21. l i

In conclusion I desire to direct particular notice to the fact that the take-up springs in my shock absorber are located Within the main springs and that therefore the entire number of springs is arranged inl compact' form and occupy a minimum amount of space. This is highly desirable, especially in motor vehicles in which there are num'er` ous parts beneath the bodies of the vehicles including, for instance, steeringrods, and

if the shock absorber springs are not compactly arranged there is lintert'crenee be- .l

tween them and the vehicle.

I claim i y l. In a shock absorber for vehicles, a pair adjacent 1 arts ofl the of pivotally mounted bearers provided With' arms, a spring element interposed between 8,5`l" said arms, a take-up spring within said l spring element, and, means having connection with said arms controlled by said take'-,v

up spring, substantially as set forth.

2. In a shock absorber for vehicles, a pair of pivotally mounted bearers provided wtli arms, a pair of main springs interposed between said arms, a pair of take-upy springs within said main springs, a spring seat member interposed between the main springs and take-up springs,` and meanshaving connection with said arms controlled by said takeup springs, substantially as set forth.

3.- In a shock absorber for vehicles, a pair ot pivotally mounted bearers provided With arms, a spring element interposed between said arms, adjustable Aspring seat members lmounted in said arms and serving as'resistaiice inen'ibers for said spring element, a take-up spring Wi'tliin said spring element, and. means having connection withv said arms controlled by said take-up spring, substantially as set forth.

4.. In a shock absorber for vehicles, a pair ot' pivotally mounted bearers provided with arms, spring seat members adjustably mounted in said arms, a pair of main springs interposed between said arms and seated at their outer ends against said spring seat members, a spring seat member interposed between said inain springs, a pair of take-up springs within said` main springs bearing at ther inner ends against said central spring seat member, and means. havin connection with said arms controlled by sai take-u p springs, substantially as set forth.

1n a shock absorber for vehicles, a pair ot pivotally mounted bearers provided with arms, a pair of main springs interposed between said arms, a central spring seat ring interposed between saidmain -springs an provided with an external rib to receive the inner en'ds of said main springs, and with within said main springs resting against t ioo 944,446 i is inner i'ib of said central ring,. and means having connection with said arms controlled by said take-up springs, substantially as set forth. a

6. In a shock absorber' for vehicles, a pair of pivotally mounted bearers provided with arms, a pair. of' main springs interposed between said arms, a central spring seat ring interposed between said main springs, a pair of take-up springs Within said main springs and resting at their inner ends against4 said central spring seat ring, outer spring seat members at the outer ends of said take-up springs, draw rods 'each loosely mounted in one of said outer spring seat members and connected to the other outer spring seat member, and connecting rods fitted to said draw rods and having connection with said i bearer arms, substantially as set forth.

7 In a shock absorber for vehicles, a pair of pi'votally mounted bearers provided With arms, a pair of main springs interposed be- `tween said arms, spring seat inembersadjustably mounted in said arms and'by which 1 the' movements of said main springs are,

of pivotally mounted bearers provided with arms, a pair of main springs interposed between said arms, a pair or take-up springs Within said main springs, a central spring seat member .interposed between said main springs and take-up springs, spring seat.

members adjustably mounted in bearer arms, draw members with which said takeup springs are associated and which include outer spring seat members for said take-up springs, and connecting rods attached to said draw members and having engagement at their outer ends with said adjustable spring seat members, substantially as set forth.

FRANK Gr. KOEHLER.

i In presence oflBLANCHE HOGAN,

.-H. G. Colon. 

